Emotions and Addictions

You leave the room and find Lexie in the next one over, garnering her attention you motion to her to enter the room you left with Ashe because there is a Sunrider she may know. "The Sunrider inside said they know you, Lexie. You should take a look, I'm sure they'll be happy to see you." you give her a wink, not telling her it's Ashe but allowing her to surprise herself, "I'll go find Zoe, but check it out, they were asking about you."

"Oh?" Lexie raises an eyebrow, "Sure, just a minute." she wants to finish the conversation with her current friend.

With that you leave the room, making your way back down the busy hallway to look for Zoe. You hope she didn't go to far. You don't find her in the guard barracks but you ask around at some of the staff and guards to see if they noticed a dark haired petite girl dressed in leather armor and sure enough, they point you outside. You step out the front doors and look around and instantly to the right off at the side you see the back of Zoe, "Hey Zoe." you say as you begin to walk up to her.

She seems a little shocked to see you, her eyes are still a shade of pink and the layer of glaze coating them are holding strong. "Uh, H-Hi Darien." she sniffs a few times in quick succession, "I-I, didn't know you'd be finding me, so uhh, so soon!" she tries to smile before taking a few steps back, "I'm okay, I am, you can...you can leave again if needed." she nods quickly a few times, "I'm okay! I'm okay don't worry about me! It's, it's, yeah! I'm okay!" she bears her teeth, giving a friendly smile.

You look at her, slightly concerned, "Follow me, I've got someone you need to see. It can't wait."

"W-Who?" She fidgets her hands around her body before she steps forward, "O-Okay, I guess that's okay, I guess so! I can follow, yes, yes I can!" she smiles and walks by you, making her way back inside the guard barracks, her sadness suddenly fading away.

You eventually lead Zoe back into the room with all the Sunriders and then into the side room where Ashe and now Lexie are in. "After you..." you hold the door partially open and motion the Sunrider to enter and when she does her mouth drops open and she basically does the same thing you did and charges forward into the red head. Smiling you step inside and close the door behind you, watching Zoe practically jump into Ashe's arms causing another grunt of pain to course through out her but she fought through it, happy to see each other again.

The four of you stay in that side room, sharing the stories of what has happened. Starting with the giant storm in the Syndicate, to Lexie having pregnancy complications to making the way to Rathkin to get Lady Bree's help, your interactions with Edmin, Bree and Rixx and then onto Loner's Reach to work with Shade to gather information in regards to Rathkin. Ashe was actually kind of in shock at how much has happened since she left to travel south with the Sunriders.

"It's been an interesting, awesome, super duper adventure that's for sure!" Zoe exclaims, taking a breath. She was the one who told the entire story for Ashe to hear, making sure to drag on many details and showcase much excitement about the entire ordeal. Her energy seems to have come back as she told one of her better friends every single thing that happened in great detail.

"Glad to see nothing's changed with you, Zoe." Ashe smiles, "Still as happy and energetic as always." In your mind though, something has changed with Zoe and you assume it was something for the worst. Her mood swings were in full effect but as your hand went to your pocket, that pouch was there so maybe it was the aftereffects of that drug finishing up in her system but, something seems off.

"T-That's me! Zoe!" she smiles big at her, "But tell us, tell us Ashe, what happened with you guys?"

Then shortly after, it was Ashe's turn to share. She let everybody know that they were keeping small Errian forces away from the outer cities of Rathkin which were south of Nillix. Each giant group of Sunriders, one lead by Ashe and the other lead by Rynlee each would guard and patrol around two difference cities. Eventually word from Rathkin came out that a bigger Errian force was going to assault one of the cities which pulled both forces of Sunrider's together as one. "But that was all a ploy..." Ashe's head turns to the floor, "Fucking Rathkin..." she sits back on a bed and stares at the ground. "We lost so many sisters that day, so many friends, family members, loved ones...All for what? Because Rathkin wants to start some war? They want to be in power again?" she punches down on the bed she's sitting on, groaning in discomfort and anger.

"We don't know the exact reason honestly, power hungry I guess, they figure if they take out a big chunk of our forces we couldn't retaliate."

"We will though, yes?" Ashe states.

"We will." you reply immediately, "We'll get back up to the Syndicate as soon as we can, spread the word to Karisi, gather up our entire force and march south. They will pay for this, Rathkin will pay for all of this."

"So, Rynlee?" Lexie grants a questioning look at her red headed friend which gets reciprocated with a small back and forth nod and then Ashe's head drops to the ground, "I'm so sorry, Ashe. I'm sure you did everything you could."

"After we knew what was happening..." Ashe starts, her voice is low and full of sadness, "Rynlee charged one direction with a group of her riders and I charged another, hoping to strike two different sides at once. Her side got overwhelmed but my side, we broke through, we fought as well as we could but after noticing almost the entire group that followed Rynlee was..." she pauses, holds her breath slightly and clenches her eyes shut, "They were slaughtered." a single tear falls out of her eye, "So, I made a judgement call. I told as many as I could to run, scattering across the lands as best as able in hopes the Rathkin soldiers couldn't find us. I told everybody around me to hide, stay alive and get news of this betrayal back to the Syndicate."

"Ashe," you step forward, sitting down on the bed next to her, "You did what you could and you should be proud of yourself. You were caught surrounded and look at all the Sunrider's you saved. They are alive because of you, because of your judgement call. I know it's hard and I know a lot were lost but this isn't on you." you comfort your High Commander as best as you could, "You got betrayed by a kingdom who you were helping, you did the best you could. Under circumstances like that, I'm proud of you."

"Darien's right!" Lexie sits down on the other side of Ashe, "You did the right thing. I know you did." Lexie rests her head on Ashe's shoulder and comforts her.

"Y-Yeah!" Zoe leaps around, "Ashe, you're the best! The very best! And Darien and Lexie are right! They are right! Right, right, right!"

The four of you enjoy your emotional reunion for a few more minutes until Ashe breaks the embrace and forces herself to her feet, letting out a few groans, "I want to go check on my sisters, see how they're doing."

"Good idea!" Lexie stands up too, "We're healthy, we'll help as much as we can!"

"Yes we will!" Zoe jumps up with her hand towards the ceiling, "For the Syndicate!"

The three ladies stand side by side, arms interlocking with one another as they walk towards the door to go back to the eighteen wounded Sunriders and make sure they are getting well treated and to see if they have any needs at all.

"Hey Zoe," you say right before they reach the door, "A word please?"

Her head snaps back and looks at you, her eyes wide as can be, "Can it wait?" she more so tells rather than asks, "I want to help!"

"It'll be just a moment..." you stand up, giving her a stern look.

Ashe breaks the grasp with Zoe, "See you soon, Zoe." she smiles as her and Lexie abandon the dark haired girl in the room, letting the door swing shut behind them.

When you're certain it's you and Zoe inside the room and nobody can hear you step forward close to your High Commander and give her a once over, looking over her face, down her neck, into her torso and to her feet. Her body seems to be shaking slightly and her eyes are as wide as can be as she looks back at you curiously.

"Keep it in your pants, Mister!" Zoe laughs, "Seeing Ashe get you that worked up and now you want to try to take it out on me!" she exclaims, "No sir! I will not sleep with you, Darien! Nope nope nope!" her tongue pokes out, teasing you playfully.

"Where is it?" your monotone voice lets out, not playing any tricks.

She tilts her head and raises an eyebrow, "Where is what?" she asks.

"Don't play coy with me, Zoe." you eyebrows furrow as you continue to gaze into her eyes, "The Snuff."

"W-What?!" she gets confused, "I-I don't know, I umm, what are you talking about, what snuff?" she's suddenly going defensive.

You step forward and grip her wrist with your left hand as your right hand begins to work it's way down her body, feeling every single pocket around her armor, "Darien, stop! Don't touch me!" her voice getting slightly mad, "Stop it!" she says again but your hand doesn't stop searching. Her body tries to pivot away, breaking away from your reach but your grasp around her holds strong, not allowing her to move any farther away. "No! S-Stop it!!!!" she feels your hand stop over a pocket, "Stop! Darien, no!!" her eyes go wide as she looks at you directly, "Please! Don't!!"

Your hand reaches in the pocket as she still tries to struggle away from your grasp and when your fingers touch something, a little pouch, you know. They wrap around it and pull it out and then finally you break the grasp around Zoe's wrist and step back, holding that pouch of Snuff up and looking at your High Commander.

"Give that back!" she steps forward, trying to snatch it out of your grasp, "I-I don't know what that is or how that got there..." she gulps, "I-I mean, I do but, I wasn't using it, I...I was going to sell it or I dunno, hold onto it!" she changes her story, "J-Just give it back, please!" she tries again.

"Look what it's done to you, Zoe." you try to reason with her, "Can't you see? You're a god damn mess right now? Why are you even taking this anymore, why do you need it?"

"I don't need it!" her voice getting louder, "I...I was sad! It was helping! Can't I grieve!"

"Not like this..." you stuff that pouch away with the other one, "I'm not going to allow it."

"Darien!!" she steps forward, her hands forming fists as she pounds into your chest, "Give that back, it's mine!!" she pleads to deaf ears as you hold strong, not saying any words as you look at your High Commander before you, "Please!!! Shade gave it to me, it's mine, please!!!" the look of desperation is filling her body, "Why are you doing this?! Why!! That is mine!!!"

"You don't need this, Zoe." you shake your head, "Ashe is alive and we need to be there for her, comfort her, comfort the Sunriders who escaped, help them."

"Please..." she tries one more time.

"Come on, let's go check on the Sunriders." you try to step passed her.

"I hate you, Darien!!" she screams out, stepping in front of you to block you from leaving and pounding her fists on your chest once more, "I fucking hate you!!!"

Now that hurt, you've never heard Zoe be so angry. Not once have you ever see her get this upset over something that she would actually curse and try to punch into you. Her carefree attitude, her innocent being and her bubbly energetic personality have suddenly done a one eighty all because this drug was getting taken from her. It hurt you bad, extremely so to see what it has done to her. "Fine!" you've had enough, "You know what, sure, it's yours." your hand reaches back into the pocket and pulls out that half empty pouch of snuff, "Mark my words though, Zoe. If you continue to use this, there will be consequences." you glare at her, angry as can be, "Do I make myself clear?"

She gulps down and looks into your eyes, "Yes, Fine! J-Just, give it back!" she tries to snatch it from your hands again but you pull back, scowling at her briefly before shaking your head and eventually tossing the pouch back to her. "T-Thank you..." she grips it with both hands and holds it close to her chest, "I-I'm not, I, well...I don't need this...I, I don't, I really don't! I'm...I'm going to s-sell it..." her head shakes up and down quickly, "W-When we get to the Syndicate! Y-Yes! Sell it, not use it, no, no way! I won't!" she does her best to tell you her idea.

"Whatever Zoe..." you grumble out disappointed in her as you step around, "Mark my words..." you whisper into her body as you open the door and step outside, getting back in the presence of Ashe, Lexie and all the wounded Sunriders.